Anna Daniels
As the series opens, audiences are immediately drawn to Ned Stark, the patriarch of the Northern Stark clan, and his strong sense of honor and duty. Along with his wife, Catelyn, Ned is the proud father of five children — Robb, Sansa, Bran, Arya, and Rickon — and the alleged father of Jon Snow, a bastard Ned claimed to have produced with a tavern wench. Throughout the first season, viewers follow Ned as he leaves the Stark family home of Winterfell to serve as Hand of the King to Robert Baratheon, a position that leads to his death.
After (correctly) asserting that Robert’s eldest son, Joffrey, isn’t Robert’s son at all but the product of incest between Robert’s queen, Cersei Lannister, and her twin brother, Jaime, Ned is put on trial for high treason. However, even though he pleads guilty, Joffrey — who has a bit of a sadistic streak, to put it mildly — has Ned beheaded anyway. With that, the sword stroke heard ’round Westeros simultaneously closed out the first season of Game of Thrones and taught viewers that nobody, not even Ned Stark, was safe.
Written by: Looper
